This article would be a good read before you begin planning your website.

When people find out that I’ve managed several company website overhauls, I’ve had a few ask me to “take a look at my website.” OK, but the real question is, what am I looking for? It’s not what the site looks like or how “cool” your design is that determines if the site is well done or not.

First, I have to know what your site objectives are. What are the business goals you’re trying to accomplish? If you don’t have those documented, then do that first before any site building or evaluation.

Here’s the key line from this story in Website Magazine by Daniel Davidson, Dan Design Co: “Design is a supporting function to a business end goal. It helps make the user experience seamless. When done correctly, it’s not a distraction. It gets out of the way.”

Just as a company’s brand is about far more than colors and a logo, website design goes far deeper than just how it looks.